With help from a nonprofit that researches state campaign spending, the D-G concluded that Morton had given $1.25 million in 15 years to various races. This doesn't cover all possible races in which he might have contributed. I'm also not clear if it gets to his many contributions to PACs that in turn gave money to candidates.

It's a whopping sum, nonetheless.

The article reported, as I have, on Morton contributions to five sitting members of the Arkansas Supreme Court, led by the recently elected Rhonda Wood. Wood is notable not only for the size of her contributions from Morton and other nursing home owners (roughly $70,000), but from her home in Faulkner County, also home to bagman Gilbert Baker.

Baker used his ties with Morton to help raise money not only for Wood and the defrocked Mike Maggio, who's pleaded guilty to being influenced by Morton contributions arranged through Baker to reduce a $5.2 million verdict against a Morton nursing home to $1 million. Neither Baker nor Morton have been charged with a crime, please note.

The D-G didn't have room to get into every detail. It focused on those who'd received $20,000 or more from Morton.

I wish, for useful context, they'd have also focused on his general like for putting money into the judicial system. Not just Supreme Court justices, court of appeals judges and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (who got $88,000) but also into circuit court races, including one for the successor to Maggio. Again, Morton's fondness for contributing to Faulkner County candidates and Baker's presence there are interesting facets of Morton's effort to win friends and influence judges. And don't forget Sen. Jason Rapert, another favored by Morton money. I rounded up the Faulkner County connection here — including judicial candidates Troy Braswell, Doralee Chandler and David Clark.

The $20,000 cutoff set by the D-G for highlighting just barely cut off — technically — at least one other notable state legislative candidate. That would be Stacy Hurst who lost a House race in Little Rock. Gilbert Baker boasted of the money he'd raised for Hurst in her initial campaign filing, taking credit for $100,000 of the $115,000. Baker is not exactly trustworthy. But the filing did show $10,000 from Michael Morton, plus $5,000 from those PACs Baker set up with Chris Stewart to funnel additional money from Michael Morton into candidacies. Hurst refunded the PAC money, but not the direct Michael Morton money. He made up for it in the final campaign filing period with another $8,000 for Hurst, leaving him at $18,000 directly. It could have been $23,000 but for that unfortunate publicity.

Morton has said repeatedly that he expects no quid pro quo for his money, just good government from people who think like he does on important issues of law and justice.

Democrat Josh Mahony challenges Thrid District Rep. Steve Womack to a series of debates beforre their November general election contest.

Readers also liked…

Donald Trump gave a remarkable interview to the New York Times yesterday in which he declared open season on the marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton's past infidelity. Seems like a loser, but I've been wrong before.

The State Police say Brett McCullough, 52, of Hot Springs, was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding a bicycle about 8:47 p.m. Wednesday on Highway 70 West (Airport Road) in Hot Springs.

Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Bart Virden of Morrilton, who narrowly survived attack ads by an outside partisan group supporting his opponent for re-election to a nonpartisan seat, doesn't intend to let the matter drop.

Enjoy these photos from today's dedication and re-installation of a new Ten Commandments monument. The first iteration of the monument was installed last June but destroyed within the next 24 hours when it was rammed by a man in a Dodge Dart.